Wartsila lands fishing fleet contract

Albacora fishing vessel

DECEMBER 12, 2016 — Wärtsilä has signed a long-term Technical Management Agreement to optimize the performance of ten fishing vessels operated by Spain’s Albacora S.A.

Albacora’s activities include transportation, storage, distribution, marketing and packaging of its products. Its fishing vessels operate in the Central and Western Pacific, the Eastern tropical Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean, meaning that support services must be available globally at short notice.

The five-year agreement was tailored to meet the requirements of Albacora’s fleet management, providing technical assistance and maintenance planning for fishing vessels operating around the world.

Wärtsilä has previously provided Albacora with engines and propulsion systems as well as seals and bearings.

The new agreement includes monitoring of the equipment as well as yearly audits, which together provide ship condition data that serve as the basis for enhanced maintenance planning, leading to maximized availability.

Wärtsilä’s Contract Management supports scheduled and unscheduled maintenance planning, and field service experts are available globally should any problems occur. Spare parts are also included in the agreement.

“Albacora S.A. is looking for partners that understand our business and can offer a fast answer to technical troubles – especially unexpected ones,” says Mr. Frank Bermeosolo, Technical Director, Albacora. “Fast response is essential in our business as is professional service providing reliable solutions, and we hope that the signed agreement will answer this important and basic need. On the other hand, we place great importance in Wärtsilä knowing our vessels and their history thoroughly in order to determine future maintenance needs. Maximizing the reliability and availability of our fleet is the best way to ensure profitability, and this is where we expect Wärtsilä’s service expertise to bring added value.

“Wärtsilä’s global service network ensures the availability and reliability of Albacora’s fleet around the world, even in risky areas in which cases of piracy are still reported. Our priority is to support Albacora’s business by providing cost-efficient, high-quality maintenance and advisory services that allow the company to operate safely and effectively,” says Till Siegmann, Director, Service Unit Ibérica, Wärtsilä. “Our cooperation with Albacora has been fruitful and we look forward to developing it further with this new agreement. The next step is to evaluate suitable digital solutions in order to further improve our services.”